As is well known in the art, hoof-ware devices or steel shoes are designed to protect a horses hoof from the environment. Generally, equine steel shoe devices are attached to the bottom side of the horses hoof with “tangible” nails. Alternatively, other types of hoof-ware are available which are attached to the horses hoof by the use of a strap or multiple straps, molding the boot around the horses hoof, shrinking the material around the horses hoof, and/or clamping the boot to the horse hoof with metal brackets. It is also known to use “metal” or “plastic” inserts inside of the aforementioned boots to provide protection and to stabilize the hoof.
For example, to a limited degree, features encompassing equine hoof-ware devices are disclosed in the size-adjustable composition horse boot prior art invention U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,958 wherein a hard rubber device is used with a tensioning means including external brackets having a plurality of outwardly directed projections to provide an adjustable fit boot. The focus of this invention is to provide an adjustable mechanism to the boot to allow variation of the distance from the back of a serrated strap to the toe of the boot.
Prior art for invention U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,209, teaches a molded horseshoe which eliminates the need for frequent shoeing of the metal type and provides protection to the horses hoof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,010 relates generally to a horseshoe, and in particular to a molded flexible horse boot focusing on the replacement of the metal horseshoe. The molded boot is designed to distribute the weight around the horse hoof and to also cover the hoof to keep it from direct contact with the ground.
Prior art for invention U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,754 relates to the adjustable boot-type composition horseshoe related to an improvement in composition horseshoes particularly of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,732,929 issued May 15, 1973 to Neel W. Glass and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,209 issued Nov. 21, 1972 to Neel W. Glass. These patents disclose 3 one piece molded horseboots or horseshoe type inventions to replace the horseshoe and having a sole and somewhat flexible envelope for surrounding the horse's hoof below the coronary band. The focus of these prior art patents is primarily on using side brackets, barbs, and brackets for tensioning. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,703,209 and 3,732,929 disclose molded boots for horses secured in place by a cable and toggle arrangement.
Prior art for invention U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,382, issued Dec. 29, 1992, is a boot device and method for use in preventing laminitis in the foot of a horse. The boot is designed to fit over the horse's hoof. A bladder is positioned inside of the boot and beneath the frog of the horse's hoof. A pump is connected to the bladder to provide pulsating pressure to the frog of the horse's hoof to simulate the pressure applied to the frog while the horse is walking.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,288, issued Dec. 31, 1996, teaches a boot for horse's hooves designed for shod horses, that stays firmly anchored to the hoof and yet does not damage the structure of the hoof itself. This invention focuses on the equine hoof effects concerned with stabilizing, equalizing and comforting the loaded and/or unloaded shod hoof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,683, issued Jul. 6, 1976, teaches a slipper-like footwear device in the form of a split ring having a configuration substantially corresponding to the peripheral configuration of a hoof with the split at the rear or heal portion of the slipper. This hoof-ware invention focuses on the equine hoof effects concerned with stabilizing, equalizing and comforting the loaded and/or unloaded hoof, shod or unshod.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,988,828 and 3,486,561 disclose an animal boot of unitary molded construction with an annular wall of limited resiliency. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,446,371, 2,064,566, and 3,209,726 disclose boots for dogs also of a flexible construction and generally shaped to fit the foot. U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,346 discloses a hoof covering molded in place to the hoof lower surfaces. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,794,119 and 4,155,406 disclose boots held in place by straps or a strap. U.S. Pat. No. 3,236,310 discloses a boot of heat sensitive material thermally shrunk into place on the hoof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,683 discloses a bifurcated boot for clamping to the hoof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,226 discloses an elastomeric scalper-type covering disposable about the hoof to protect the hoof. U.S. Pat. No. 2,041,538 discloses a rubber horse boot having a continuous wall integral with the boot sole with the frontal wall portion being of greater height than the rear wall portion.
Prior art for invention U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,800, issued Apr. 12, 1988, is referred to as footware for hoofed animals comprising a cup-like, closed, resilient unit having a sole and hoof-covering part used as a substitute for a shoe and may be suitable for treatment of sick animals. This hoof-ware invention focuses on the equine hoof effects concerned with stabilizing, equalizing and comforting the loaded and/or unloaded hoof, shod or unshod.
Prior art for invention U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,661, issued Feb. 10, 1998, discloses a boot for horses designed for protecting a horse's hoof from damage, improved adjustability, is simple in structure, easy to put on the hoof, does not inadvertently pop open and is devoid of damaging internal metal protuberances. This hoof-ware invention focuses on the equine hoof effects concerned only with stabilizing, equalizing and comforting the loaded and/or unloaded hoof, shod or unshod.
Prior art for invention U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,487, issued Sep. 22, 1981, teaches a protective boot of unitary construction shaped so as to lend itself to temporary radical distortion.
Prior art for invention U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,048, issued May 11, 1993, teaches a device with means for irrigation of medication and removal of fluids in the treatment of hoof injuries and disorders. This hoof-ware invention focuses on the equine hoof effects concerned with stabilizing, equalizing and comforting the loaded and/or unloaded hoof, shod or unshod.
Prior art for invention U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,632, issued Nov. 15, 1994, discloses an equine athletic boot which includes a panel of shock absorbing material that is wrapped around the lower leg of a horse for support and protection in the area of the pastern, fetlock, and canon bone, comprising shock absorbing material with a vertically oriented tubular bladder carried by the panel.
However, equine hoof steel one-dimensional shoes of known types, as well as the other types of hoof-ware discussed above, generally do not provide for optimized balanced cushioning, flexibility and comfort while also providing healing enhancements for different equine hoof ailments encountered in the overall normal wear of the horse's hoofs. Also of consideration is the prior art's silence regarding diagnostic, medical, corrective, rehabilitated and/or emergency environments related to horse hoof care. The known prior art does not provide for a “single” horse hoof-ware shoe and/or boot which addressees all of the foregoing needs, i.e., normal wear and tear to the horses hoof through the owners/caretakers use of the horse, and diagnostic, medical corrective, rehabilitated and/or emergency environments related to horse hoof care. Moreover, the prior art teaches horse style boots or hoof coverings primarily used for protective purposes. The boots/coverings have a problem of retention on the hoof because of forces, common and uncommon, to the hoof. The prior art addresses this retention problem by teaching the attachment of the boots with straps, molding the boot around the hoof, shrinking the materials around the hoof, and/or clamping the boot/covering with metal brackets, all causing the boot to be clumsily installed on the hoof and limited in their use. Also of concern is the problem that horse boots of the prior art have limited adjustability, insecure closures which tend to pop open during use, and metal protuberances inside and/or outside of the boot which can do further damage to a horse's hoof. These types of horse boots are also difficult to place on the hoof, with a somewhat complicated structure and are poor fitting which tends to have the horse walk on its toe, creating a stress on the leg. The prior art is also silent with respect to a horse hoof-ware that is adjustable in size such that it can fit any size horse hoof.
Hence, there is a need for solving the problem of providing an equine hoof shoe or boot that provides for optimized balanced cushioning, flexibility and comfort while also providing for healing enhancements for different equine hoof ailments and for a healthily hoof in the overall normal wear and use of the horses hooves. A need also exists for a horse shoe which provides not only either protection from the environment or addresses one specific medical need, but rather there is a need for a shoe which also provides for diagnostic, medical, corrective, rehabilitative, and/or emergency environments related to horse hoof care in a single shoe. A need also exists for horse boots/coverings which are not retained by being strapped with buckles, molded, clamped or retained with metal brackets and when subjected to forces, common and uncommon to the hoof, remains retained on the hoof. A horse shoe/boot is also needed which allows adjustability, and has secure closures that do not pop open during use. A need also exists for a boot which addresses all of the foregoing concerns and short comings in the prior art and further which fits the hoof in a manner that does not cause stress to the leg while in use. Evolving equine industry has established the fact that equine hoof care comprises more than the steel shoe now used in most equine environments. Enhanced flexibility within the healing process in solving multiple equine hoof diseases with the one-dimensional steel shoe is creating an environment wherein more thought is being made to alternative multi-dimensional solutions. Research has led the industry in the direction of a non-shod trend in the major equine environments, including, but not limited to, normal, medicated, corrective, rehabilitative and/or emergencies. This trend suggests there needs to be equine related hoof care shoes and management systems configured to be used in all of the foregoing environments.